There is always more work to do.

What’s on your To-Do List?

Right now you have something else to do. Later today you will also have something else to do. And tomorrow you will have the opportunity to pick new things to do and catch up on the things you did not get done from today. There are also the other things in your life that need attention – they might be family time, your spouse or significant other, that run you are putting off, or any number of side projects and obligations – so how do you manage stress and life balance as an entrepreneur?

I start from routine. Knowing what I’m going to do in a day helps me to prepare for the uncertainty that will also happen. I make sure that I cover my bases – eating well, making sure that I sleep enough, and going home at the end of the day. Eating well often means explaining to people that I avoid gluten, dairy, and egg, and it also makes it hard to eat while I’m on the road or away from my house. Sleeping enough is challenging. You can always get more done late at night, and I’ve learned through experience that late night learning is just not as effective as the benefit you get from sleep. And I go home. There’s a lot of pressure in any office to be the first one at work and the last one leaving. Even better is the feeling that you can go home and still know what you need to get done.

What can you get done today?

You also need to know (and be able to identify) Your Most Important items to be able to leave the office and still be productive. I do spend the time at home to get done whatever needs to get done, and I usually do that after my kids are in bed. Protecting family time is one of the best ways I know to reduce stress and feel like I have a more balanced life.

Except when your life isn’t so balanced. Because as an entrepreneur, there are often times when the business/problem/idea is all-consuming. If you have built up goodwill with your family and/or significant other to be able to ask for the time you need, you’ll feel better about being fully present in your startup – and being able to put your phone/computer/work brain in the other room during family time.

Balancing Stress is an Ongoing Challenge.

Is this a perfect system? Heck no. It’s a strategy to balance the stress of being in a startup and to maintain the smallest version of a big goal that I have: to be present for the people who matter to me, in the moment when we are present together. I’ve made the mistake in the past of trying to double, triple, and multi-task. It feels successful while you’re doing it, and results in action, but doesn’t identify, move forward, and solve the most important things you need to get done. So spend your time focusing on the biggest small thing you can get done. Eat well. Get enough sleep. Move around. And hang out with the people you love.

Managing stress and life balance as an entrepreneur means getting very comfortable with ambiguity. The sooner you internalize that and learn what you need to do to cope with that uncertainty, the better. The bad news is that there is always more work to do. The good news is that there is always more work to do. Get that work done on your terms and be able to tell a great story about it, and you’ll feel like you are managing your startup on your terms. Finally, Perfect is the Enemy of Done.